Individuals in other countries, and sometimes in U.S., will respond to
your ads
placed on various classified web sites on the Internet about the sale of
autos, businesses or other large ticket items most commonly. Typically they agree
to purchase the vehicle or high tag item and then forward a counterfeit
cashiers check or money order to the seller in amounts exceeding the agreed upon purchase
price. The seller contacts the buyer concerning the overpayment.
The seller is asked to refund the overpayment, and quite often there is a
3rd party who will pickup the item sold. If the seller sends a refund
quickly they come to discover the
counterfeit item is worthless, and that could take 2 weeks even.
The seller has released the goods, and also out the amount of the refund.
Sometimes they won't pickup the item and are happy with the refund. In every instance the bank will pass the
loss back to the individual who deposited the counterfeit check. The FBI are well aware of this fraud
scheme but don't expect them to do much when the culprits are located
outside the U.S. If the sale smells anything like the above, walk away and
disregard such offers.

This fraud scheme should not deter users from using the
Internet as a place to sell and buy goods. Users should feel completely safe
in placing classified ads, but exercise caution. Remember, if it sounds to good to be true, it
probably is!

Most of the
current fraud offers come from "free" type email accounts like,
Yahoo, Hotmail, Fastermail etc. We suggest sellers provide only a
telephone number since 95% (not 100%) of all fraud offers to date that we know of only
come in by email. Exercise caution even with callers. Yahoo has been
great about notifying offenders of the misuse of their email accounts. Unfortunately, the scammers
just sign-up for another free account, and the free accounts rarely take
a personal ID number, so this makes it all the more difficult for the authorities do.

Please be cautious, especially if you use an email in
your ad. Just about everyone gets scammers when they put their email
inside their ad. Personally, we would never sell anything without having
verifiable contact info from the buyer, and that is an address and
phone, not just an email. We would also limit our buyers to those within
the country in which we reside.

Scammers are always thinking up new variations of their
crimes. If you are selling a business or large tag item you really should have a
contract of sale drawn up by an attorney. If you are selling any kind of
valuable product verify your buyer, consider a contract of sale and
until you have funds cleared in your account remember you could have a
bad form of payment. Bank wires into your account are on of the safest
forms of receiving clean funds, so consider that form of payment. Again,
verify your buyer before you provide them with your bank information.
Get their phone number and address, call them at the number and see if
they answer etc. Send them a courier letter to see if delivery is
accepted and signed by who?

Several sellers have actually faked it and taken
possession of fake
cashiers checks or money orders to the FBI. Sadly they were told there was
little that could be done when the culprits were located outside the
U.S. and without a telephone number that could be traced. However, you can do something more to protect yourself. Once again,
get their phone number. Call that number and verify it. Keep that number
as the authorities can trace owners of telephone numbers. Note the
caller ID status if you can. We would prefer sellers not to take chances
as some of these buyers have. In fact, some got severe threats, please
don't. Just don't start any negotiations with suspicious buyers in the
first place and you are fine.

Everyone should ask their bank for assistance. Having
funds wired into your bank account is the cleanest method. The funds are
good once your bank says a wire was received in your account. However, never accept overpayments. Reminder, cashiers checks can take 2
weeks to clear. Don't accept payments not drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S.
funds unless you are located outside the U.S. and your buyer is local to
you. If you feel uneasy, get professional help with transactions. We
feel this is especially important for the sale of vehicles and
businesses.